Ep 06 - How To Create A Killer Website For Your Small Business
I have friends who own a small business and they’ve been asking me about how to create a good website on a small budget so i thought of creating an episode specifically for that topic. Consider creating a website is of similar character to constructing a building. We marvel at these awe-inspiring architectural structures and their interiors, often without realizing all the thought and planning that went into design and construction--and this is a good thing. People generally know good design by their experience of it. The same is true in the digital landscape. Good website design is hinged upon a seamless user experience (UX) and a thoughtful user interface (UI). Now, as a small business owner, web design may neither be a part of your skillset nor a priority on your budget list. But these shouldn’t stand in the way of creating a website that can potentially provide big support for your small business.
So how does someone with an average level of technological know-how, a tight budget, and a big vision create the website of their dreams? Here are three things to help you get started (We’re building on the architectural analogy to put things in more relatable terms.
Website Builder (The Real Estate Agent)
Just as you would find land to construct your building on, you must first choose a platform that will host your website. The following may help you with your choice.
See how far your budget can take you - popular website builders include Wix, Weebly, and Shopify. These builders offer free packages with basic inclusions and a variety of premium packages that might just work within your budget as well
Prioritize ease of use - so much of your energy already goes into running your business, so creating your website shouldn’t drain you at all! You may want to avail of the free trials offered by the website builders you’re considering and see which one you can level with.
Consider specific features relevant to your needs as a business owner - depending on the nature of your business, you want to choose a website builder that lets you use features that would be especially helpful in promoting customer engagement through your website
Check for available resources (e.g. tutorials) and professional customer support - as a rookie web designer, it’s a great comfort to know that you aren’t at it alone. Online tutorials and reliable customer support can help you press on in the face of setbacks as you create your website.
User Experience Design (The Architect)
In a nutshell, this covers all the technical aspects of the website and takes the overall ease of use into consideration. Imagine the structural foundation and framing of a building. Well, your website needs that too. In planning, consider the following.
Set objectives for your website - make sure that these align with your business goals and think of your customers--who they are and what tops their lists of needs and priorities. Marrying your objectives with their needs will help you determine what information or content goes into your website.
Map out your information structure - once you have a clear outline for content, think about how customers can access all this information. Consider the site’s menu, internal pages, sidebar, and footer then create a clear, logical hierarchy for these.
Use internal linking broadly - internal links allow customers to go from one page to another within your website. Simply put, using internal links encourages effortless navigation for users. A plus? These are important SEO ranking factors too!
Research on keywords - search engines use keywords to connect users to your website so you want to use them around your site as broadly as you would use internal links. There are keyword research tools online that you can utilize to identify specific words you may use in site content.
User Interface Design (The Interior Designer)
This is the fun part. Think graphics, images, fonts, layout, and the overall visual presentation of a website. In short, look and feel. Website builders offer well-designed templates that you can choose from, customize, and experiment with. Again, here are a few things for you to consider as you go through this phase.
Streamline your content and design according to your customers’ needs - Not only do you want to create a memorable experience for your customers, you want to make their time worthwhile by providing relevant, value-adding, and top quality content for them
Clean and minimal is the way to go - this isn’t to say that you should settle for a bland website. Rather, make sure that your website is visually uncluttered overall. Choose high impact images and graphics and be mindful of using too many different fonts. Two to three fonts across your website is a good rule of thumb. Use colors that complement your logo so that your site’s overall aesthetic ties nicely into your brand identity and image.
Make your main categories THE main categories - in other words, limit the tabs on your main menu to the categories that are essential to your business. Get creative and use engaging category names that encourage customers to explore the site.
Incorporate call to action buttons - the goal here is to get your customers engaged across all relevant digital platforms. One way is by linking them to your social media accounts, thereby potentially increasing follower growth. Another is through email sign-up prom pts that invite customers to get on your mailing list. There are other ways to engage your customers through your website according to the nature of your product/service, so make sure to explore these too.
An exercise that may help you through the process is to try visiting some of your own bookmarked websites and evaluating your own experience while navigating these sites. Pay attention to how you move from one page to another and how you interact with the information available. Be mindful of what you find visually pleasing and what layouts or page elements encourage you to stay on the site. This simple exercise may yield valuable insight as you create your own website.
Speaking of insight, you may also want to connect with experienced web designers who would be eager to team up with you in this endeavor. Click here to see how we can help you set this up. Either way, we’re confident that a killer website is now well within your reach!
